Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-04-28
A KANSAS TORNADO.
Kansas Has It's Initial Spring TornadO-De-
structIon at Colony and Prescott.

Kansas Has It's Initial Spring rornado-De-
struction at Colony and Prescott.
GARSErT, Kan, April 22--The first cy-
clone OF the season for Kansas struck Col
ony in the southern part OF this county
yesterday, killing one woman. destroying
several houses and doing large amount
Of other damage. The day had been
miserable one far the general
weather was concerned, but there was
nothing in the indications to point 10 the
formation of a cyclone. The storm, so lar
as it can be traced. started shortly after
noon some three or four miles north or
northwest of Colony, and, gathering force
as it went, swept over the country, de-
stroying trees, farm fences and one or TWO
houses III its path The cyclone was not OF
any great extent, and the greatest width OF
its path at any one point, so far as can be
learned, was not over one hundred yards,
if indeed it was of that size. In Colony the
people were all kept within doors by the
rain storm which was raging, and IN con-
sequence no one saw the terrible storm APP
preaching, nor was its coming heralded by
the ordinary symptoms and sounds-at
least the reports from that point, which
are extremely meager at best, do not make
any mention of such phenomena
The first token that the dreaded storm
was upon the town was peculiar low
rumbling or whirring sound incapable OF
accurate description. Then all OF sudden
the northern sky assumed the peculiar
greenish tint noticed in such disturbances,
and the next moment the wind had swept
down upon portion of the town, and IN an
incredibly short space of time had passed
on, leaving only desolation in Its path.
Northwest of Colony about mile and
half a farm house in which lady was sit
ting alone was demolished and the poor
woman was buried in the runs. When the
that she had been struck by heavy cross
beam and life had been literally crushed
out of her. No one else in that vicinity
was in the least injured, though several
hundred dollars damage was done to farm
fences, orchards and barns.
In the town of Colony, half dozen small
houses in one corner were destroyed, but
so far as could be learned no large resi-
dences and no stores were destroyed.
There were no persons injured and the
whole damage done can be repaired by the
expenditure of few thousand dollars.
The cyclone fortunately did not pass straight
through the town and in consequence less
harm was done than was at first reported.
After leaving Colony the course of the wind
was traced for about mile, but beyond
that point no information is obtalnable.
The damage done to farms and orchards
and IN the town of Colony will probably
aggregate $4,000, though definite figures
can not be obtained from the stricken sec
lion ut present, nor can the names of the
persons who suffered losses be learned.
ONE MAN KILLED.
PLEAsANToN, Kan, April 22-Meager de-
tails were received here of a terrible cy-
clone which passed over and destroyed the
town of Prescott, about eight miles from
here, at five o'clock last evening. The
depot was demolished and the agent in
stantly killed. 1t can not be learned how
much damage was done.
RAT HORROR.
LANCASTER, Pa, April 22-The store Of
Ambrose Singleton and his brother at Me-
chanic's Grove is infested by rats and
these animals have grown so large and
fierce that one of them attacked and nearly
killed a two months old child last night 1t
forced its head into the child's mouth, thus
preventing its crying out, and ate away the
flesh from the roof of the mouth and the
lower jaw.
HAILsToRM.
ROLLING FORK, Miss, April 22.-At 216
yesterday afternoon a hailstorm passed
over this section, the like of which has
never been witnessed before. When it first
began to fall the people thought the roofs
were being torn from their houses. 1t
hailed steadily for thirty minutes and
stones fell that were larger than hens eggs.
Holes were knocked in the roofs of houses
and trees were partially stripped of their
foliage.
TWO LADIES STRUCK BY AN ENGINE.
EvERsoN, Pa, April 22.-While walking
on the tracks of the Baltimore & Ohio rail
road near here yesterday, two ladies, Mrs.
Gettemy and Mrs. Anderson, were struck
by a shifting engine and terribly mangled.
The former died in a few hours and Mrs.
Anderson is in serious condit ion.